The shooting took place outside of Antonella 2012, a strip club in the Cacao neighborhood in Caracas, reportedly following a brawl inside.

"Apparently it was a fight originating in a nightspot where these people were attacked and shots were fired at them and they suffered gunshot wounds," police spokesman Douglas Rico told TV channel Globovision at the health clinic where the victims were taken. He said one was shot in the leg and abdomen and the other was shot in the abdomen.

But according to Deisy Ron, who identified herself to the Associated Press as the club's artistic director, several of the club's employees witnessed the two Americans fighting each other before one shot the other.

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"They were fighting with each other," she said. "One of them pulled out a gun and shot the other in the stomach and the leg."

One of the wounded men was identified by local authorities as Roberto Ezequiel Rosas. He was reportedly shot in the right leg. The other victim, who was shot in the leg and stomach, has not yet been identified. Neither of the injuries were life threatening. Both victims work in the office of the defense attaché.

William Ostick, a State Department spokesman, confirmed the shooting, telling reporters that "two members of the US Embassy in Caracas were injured during an incident early this morning."

"Medical staff inform us that their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening," Ostick said. "Embassy security and health unit personnel are at the hospital and have been in touch with the two individuals and their families."

The incident took place just over a year after another high profile scandal involving US government employees in Latin America; in April 2012, 12 Secret Service agents were relieved of their duties after bringing prostitutes to their hotel room in Cartagena, Colombia.